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At Salon del Mobile, the specialized trade show Eurocucina focuses on innovation in kitchen systems and appliances. This year, trends include a fascination with dark woods and the evolution of wall cabinets from closed boxes to open shelves. On the bathroom front, exhibitors at the Salone del Bagno were promoting unusual finishes and materials for plumbing fixtures and fittings.

While much of the work introduced at Milan this year played it safe—distinctly conservative colors, forms familiar from the 1950s, cautious use of materials—some architects’ designs took, shall we say, a bolder stance. But: Was it a better one? You, ever-opinionated reader, shall and no doubt will be the judge of that. Among the boldest of the bold designs this year were four pieces presented by Zaha Hadid.

At Salone del Mobile in April, French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec demonstrated what it’s like to take a spin in a BMWi. Quiet Motion, the Bouroullec brothers’ interactive interpretation of the sustainable electric car brand, was an installation open for visitors to climb onto revolving platforms to relax as the world leisurely passed around them.